Apparatus for treating ores.



(No Model.)

Patented Oct. 7, I902.

S. T. MUFFLY.

APPARATUS FDR TREATING DRES.

Application filed Sept. 20 I WIN/E8858 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

.w WEI/70R 2% %ron mfys No. 710,495. P'afented Oct. 7, I902.

s. T. MUFFLY..

APPARATUS FOR TREATING ORES A ncafion filed Sept. 20. 1901. (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shunt 2.

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No. 7|O,495. Patented Oct. 7, 1902) S. T. MUFFLY.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING OBES.

I (Application filed Sept 20. IDOL) (No Model) 3 Sheets-Shoat 3.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIDNEY THEODORE MUFFIIY, OF BOVVDRE, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- IIAIJF TO RUNYON PYATT, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING ORES.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N 0. 710,495, dated October 7, 1902.

Application filed September 20,1901. Serial No. 75,799. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIDNEY THEODORE IIIUFFLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bowdre, in the county of Hall and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Ores, of which the following is a full and complete specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates particularly to apparatus for the extraction of gold and silver from ores, concentrates, slimes, and tailings by the use of cyanid of potassium or other chemicals, which embody rotary leaching-cylinders; and it has forits object to provide simple, improved, readily-constructed, and'perfectly-operating means whereby more effectually to remove salts of base metals with other hindering substances, to provide means for more quickly drawing off the hydrogen and hydrocyanic fumes from the leaching-cylinder and replacing them with oxygen and a fresh cyanid of potassium or other solvent cyanogen compound solution in the form of spray, and to provide means for breaking up relatively impenetrable lumps of slime, and thereby bring about a more perfect leaching of the gold and silver.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the novel construction and arrangements of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of the specification, in which like letters of reference designate corresponding parts, Figure l is a side elevation, partially in section, showing an apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective elevation of the cylinder and the gearing thereof. Fig. 3 is a partially-broken central vertical section of the cylinder and its inlet and outlet pipes. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the closure device of the cylinder. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are details, respectively, of the filter-plate, the cover-plate, and the securing device forming part of the said closure.

In the practice of my invention I construct a cylinder A of any suitable form and material and line it interiorly with a plurality of plates closely adjacentliner-plates B. Within the cylinder A, I secure a plurality of Iongitudinal strips or baflies O at suitable distances apart and directed radially.

In any suitable portion of the circumference of the cylinder and preferably near the end thereof I form an opening for the insertion of the ores and chemicals, over which I secure the feed hole casing D, the flange D of which extends over the feed-opening in the cylinder and is tightly fastened. \Vithin the casingD is formed aledge or shoulder D on which rests a filtering device E, which consists of a metallic plate centrally open and a similar and smaller supplemental plate E, between which plates are secured layers of cotton duck E and cocoa matting E both plates and the said layers being secured together by means of bolts. Above the filterplate E is secured the cover F, which rests within and upon the upper edge of the casing D and projects thereover. In lugs D at either side of the casing D is pivoted a segmental cross-head G, through which extends a handscrew G, the lower end of which bears upon the cover-plate F, so as to clamp the same in position upon the feed-hole casing.

The filter-plate E and the cover-plate F may be employed together, as shown in Fig. 4, or the cover-plate and the filter may be used altermttely and separately. Upon either end of the cylinder I secure hollow axles H, provided with integral flanges or plates 11, by

which they are bolted to the ends or heads A of the cylinder. The axles rest in suitable bearings I upon a framework or uprights I of any desired or approved form. At the end of said axles is formed a stuffing-box 1-1 in which is inserted the end of an inlet-pipe .I or an outlet-pipe J.

\Vithin the cylinder in communication with the hollow axles II are small chambers K and K, which communicate with the interior of the cylinder only through valves L and L, pivoted at L The valves of the inlet-chamber K swing outwardly to permit the entrance of air into the cylinder, and the valves L of the outlet-chamber K swing inwardly to permit the exit of the hydrocyanic-acid fumes within the cylinder. Any suitable means may be employed for limiting the swing of the valves. In the drawings I have shown weak springs M and M for this purpose. The spring M is secured upon the outside of the chamber K and projects around the pivot L The spring M is secured within the chamber K and bears lightly against the valves L upon their inner faces. It will be manifest that any suitable valves may be employed.

Upon the outside of one end of the cylinder A is secured a circumferentially-extending spur-gear N, attached to the said cylinder in any desired manner and meshing with a pinion O, connected to a pulley P, supported upon a shaft Q, suitably journaled in the framework 1. In the end of the cylinder are inserted a plurality of drainage-valves R.

The inlet-pipe J projects from an air-blast or blower S, operated by any suitable power, from which air is injected through the said inlet-pipe J. Intermediate of the blower or air-blast machine the pipe J is formed into a worm or plurality of coils J and this portion of the pipe is continued in the hot-air box or casing of a furnace T, through which the said pipe J passes, the furnace being generally part of the plant which operates the machine, or it may be separate therefrom, if desired.

Between the furnace T and the cylinder A there is connected to the pipe J by a T-coupling J a pipe U, leading downwardly from a tank V, which contains cyanid of potassium in solution, preferably a one-quarter-of-oneper-cent. solution. The elevation of the tank V is to give sufficient force of flow to the fluid solution. The pipe U beneath the tank is provided with a stopcock or regulating-valve V, and the pipe J rearwardly of the coupling J 3 is provided with a similar regulating-valve XV. Above the coupling J is an ejector Y.

The operation of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the advantages of my invention will be manifest to all who are conversant with devices of this character.

The ores and a small portion of a weak solution (preferably a one-quarter-of-one-percent. solution) of cyanid of potassium and only sufficient in amount to saturate the ores are inserted through the feed-hole of the cylinder and the latter closed by means of the cover-plate F and the clamping-screw G. Power is then applied to the pulley P to rotate the cylinder, and the effective leaching of the ores then commences. As the operation continuesair of the most efficient temperature and a fresh solution of the same or any other desired strength (according to the character of the ore under treatment) is forced through the inlet-pipe J and valves L into the cylinder in the form of aspray. Air may be forced in alone, either hot or cold, and its amount and force governed by the regulating-valve W, and by turning on the regulating-valve W the cyanid solution enters the air-inlet pipe J and is injected with the air into the cylinder. The amount of cyanid introduced is regulated by the valve W and also in part by the air-pressure valve XV. When the apparatus is employed exactly as shown in the drawings, a combination of hot airand cyanid-so1ution spray will be injected into the cylinder under considerable pressure. In practice I prefer to heat the airin treatment of oxydized ores to about 100 Fahrenheit, and with other ores the temperature will be higher or lower, according to the character of the ores or the elements they contain. This injection of air and cyanid, especially coincidently with the revolution of the cylinder A, serves a plurality of purposes. It provides a more effectual and economical supply of oxygen. It creates and maintains the most effective and the most constant temperature. It instantaneously adds fresh cyanid of potassium or other solvent in the form of spray continuously. It forces the oxygen andalso the solution into and between all the parts of the ore charge during any special time or during the entire time, according to the character of the ores operated upon. It supplies oxygen to replace that element as rapidly as it separates from the cyanogen compound to enter into new molecular combination with gold, silver, and potassium. It regenerates or strengthens the solution with a constant supply of the solvent compound, thereby preventing chemical inertia by replacing cyanogen which has combined with hydrogen liberated in the passing over of oxygen to form the new compoundsauro-potassic cyanid, argento-potassic cyanid, and potassic hydrate. Moreover, a systematic agitation is produced in which the ore is carried up by the baflfles and falls by its gravity back through the warm currents of air and spray of solution, and in this systematic agitation, besides supplying oxygen to replace that element as it is needed in the cyanogen compounds,anoth er purpose is also servedof removing films of insoluble basic oxids from the surface of coarse gold, rendering it more immediately amenable to the chemical treatment.

My improved apparatus also accomplishes the expulsion through the outlet-chamber K, past the valve L, and through the outletpipe J to a safe distance outside the building of the poisonous hydrocyanic fumes generated from the excess of hydrogen and cyanogen liberated by the combination of the oxygen with gold, silver, and potassium.

The agitation of the ores and chemicals by the strips or baffles C also breaks up and thoroughly disintegrates the vitrified lumps occurring in ores or concentrates from imperfect roasting and likewise Wears away impenetrable masses of slime, thereby bringing the gold and silver more readily in contact with the cyanid of potassium or other chemicals. Coarse gold, which is oftentimes discharged from leaching-cylinders with the tailings after treatment, is in this device worked upon by baffles until the chemical extraction becomes nearly perfect.

I use the filter-plate E with the cover F removed for the purpose of filtering off neutralizing wash solutions required in treatment of certain ores and also to filter the cyanid of potassium or other chemical solution from certain material for which more than one leaching is necessary. The series of draining-valves are intended for drawing off the solution into any suitable receptacle or filter apparatus for the purpose of permitting the quick filtration of the solution before discharge of the tailings from the cylinder into the same and for withdrawing portions of the solution for testing.

I do not desire to confine myself to the exact formation of parts and construction of details herein shown and described, as I conceive my invention to be novel in its plan and broad in its scope. I do not, however, in this patent claim the process or method of treating the ores which my apparatus is designed to carry out, as this process is made the subjectof a separate application for patent filed by me in the United States Patent Office of even date herewithviz., on the 20th day of September,] 901, Serial No. 75,800.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An apparatus for treating ores comprising a rotary cylinder, air inlet and outlet passages communicating therewith, and checkvalves within the cylinder governing the said inlet and outlet.

2. An apparatus for treating ores comprising a rotary cylinder, oppositely-arranged chambers secured in the said cylinder, inlet and outlet valves respectively mounted in the said chambers, and air inlet and outlet passages connecting with the said chambers.

An apparatus for treating ores comprising a rotary cylinder provided interiorly with means for agitating or breaking up the ores, hollow axles secured upon either end of the cylinder and communicating with the interior thereof and formed with stuffing-boxes, air inlet and outlet pipes revolubly mounted in the said stuffingboxes, chambers secured within the cylinder and communicating with the hollow axles, inlet and outlet valves respectively mounted in the said chambers and adapted to open outwardly and inwardly relatively to the said cylinder and means for limiting the movement of the said valves.

l. An apparatus for treating ores comprising a rotary cylinder provided interiorly with means for agitating or breaking up the ores, and with air inlet and outlet passages communicating with the interior thereof, a feedhole therein, aremovable filtering device comprising two perforated plates having filtering material secured in the same, means for clamping the said filter in the feed-hole, and means for closing the same.

5. An apparatus for treating ores comprising a rotary cylinder provided with interior casings and with longitudinal strips or baffles, air inlet and outlet passages communieating with the interior of the cylinder, oppositely-directed valves governing the same, a feed-hole in the cylinder, a filter-plate mounted in the said feed-hole, a closure (levice therefor, means for clamping the filter and the closure device therein, and means independent of the said filter and the closure device for draining off the solution of the cylinder.

6. An apparatus for treating ores comprising a rotary cylinder, an air-inlet pipe connected therewith means for forcing air through the said pipe, and a solvent-container connected with the said inlet-pipe whereby the solvent is forced by and with the air into the rotary cylinder in the form of a spray.

7. An apparatus for treating ores comprising a rotary cylinder, an air-inlet pipe connected therewith, means for forcing air through the said pipe, a solvent-container connected with the said air-inlet pipe whereby the solvent is forced by and with the air into the rotary cylinder in the form of a spray, and means for heating the air prior to said entry into the cylinder.

8. An apparatus for treating ores comprising a rotary cylinder, an air-inlet pipe connected therewith, means for forcing the air through the said pipe, and a solvent-container connected with the said air-inlet pipe whereby the solvent is forced by and with the air into the rotary cylinder in the form of a spray, and means for heating the air prior to the entry of the solvent into the airpoint of inlet-pipe.

9. An apparatus for treating ores comprisiug a rotary cylinder, an air-inlet pipe connected therewith, means for forcing air through the said pipe, and a solvent-container connected with the said air-inlet pipe whereby the solvent is forced by and with the air into the rotary cylinder in the form of aspray, aregulating-valvc controlling the entry of the solvent into the air-inlet pipe and a regulatingvalve in the said inlet-pipe rearwardly of the point of entrance of the solvent.

10. An apparatus for treating ores comprising a rotary cylinder, air inlet and outlet pipes connected therewith at opposite ends thereof, automatic valves oppositely directed and controlling the inlet and outlet pipes, means for forcing air through the said inletpipe, means for heating the said air, and a solvent-container connected with the airinlet pipe whereby the solvent is forced by and with the air into the rotary cylinder in the form of a spray.

11. An apparatus for treating ores comprising a rotary cylinder, air inlet and outlet pipes connected therewith at opposite ends thereof, automatic valves oppositely directed and controlling the inlet and outlet pipes, means for forcing air through the said inlet pipe, means for heating the said air, a solvent-container connected with the air-inlet pipe whereby the solvent is forced by and myinvention Ihavesigned my name,in preswith the air into the rotary cylinder in the ence of the subscribing witnesses, this 13th IO form of a spray, means for governing the day of September, 1901.

amount and pressure of airand of the solvent, 1 devices within the cylinder for scattering and SIDNEY 1 HEODORE MUFFLY' agitating the ores as the said cylinder is re- Witnesses:

volved, substantially as shown and described. B. H. ABBOTT,

In testimony that I claim the feregoing as A. G. DORSEY. 

